Medications in the form of tablets, pills, capsules, gel tablets, and the like, are typically placed and sealed within a primary package, such as a conventional blister pack. Frequently, the primary package is then placed into a secondary package, such as a traditional box or carton, for eventual purchase and consumption of the medication by the end-user. It is also known to enhance the functionality and usefulness of a primary and/or secondary package. One example of such an enhanced package, which includes child resistant features, is Applicant's DOSEPAK® brand line of consumer products packaging.
In some embodiments, the DOSEPAK® brand line of consumer products packaging includes a blister pack secured within, or to, an inner slide card that is itself placed in an outer sleeve. Features and elements found on both the inner slide card and outer sleeve allow the inner card to be releasably locked within the outer sleeve. In these embodiments, the result is a child-resistant package that can still be manipulated with relative ease by an end-user with limited dexterity or strength. The DOSEPAK® brand line of consumer products packaging has found wide acceptance, particularly in the healthcare industry where blister packs are prevalent. These and other features of the DOSEPAK® brand line can be more clearly appreciated by referring to U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,047,829; 6,230,893B1; 6,412,636B1, and 6,752,272B1.
The process of filling and shipping the blister packs, with or without secondary packaging, is typically the responsibility of the so-called “filler”—usually the manufacturer who produces the items held by the blisters or another party contracted for that service. Fillers that secure blister packs to secondary packages such as a card typically so do using a heat-seal process. As understood by those skilled in the art, heat-sealing includes mounting a blister pack to an adhesive coated paperboard substrate, and applying heat so that the blister pack is secured to the paperboard or trapped between layers of paperboard. Examples of coated paperboard substrates used in heat-sealing include Applicant's EASYSEAL™ and EASYSEAL PLUS™ brand coated paperboard products.
With the present disclosure, the Applicant seeks to create a need and a market for a secure secondary package that does not require a heat-sealing process.